NBA Rumors: Should Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks Consider Trading For DeMar DeRozan?
As the 2019-20 NBA season goes deeper, rumors started to swirl that the San Antonio Spurs may consider trading DeMar DeRozan before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. DeRozan may be establishing an impressive performance on the offensive end of the floor, but he doesn’t seem to be the man that would lead the Spurs back to title contention. Once DeRozan becomes officially available on the trading block, several NBA teams who are in dire need of additional star power are expected to express interest in adding him to their roster, including the Milwaukee Bucks.
In his recent article, Brian Sampson of Forbes named DeRozan as one of the NBA players that the Bucks could target before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. Though DeRozan has defensive issues, Sampson believes that his potential arrival in Milwaukee would help the Bucks ease the load on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s shoulders on the offensive end of the floor, especially when the real battle begins in the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
“When you throw in DeRozan’s subpar defense, it doesn’t appear to be a match for Milwaukee. Still, he’s a bonafide scorer-a weakness the Bucks haven’t quite addressed from the Eastern Conference Finals last season. He’s also shown the ability to be more perimeter-oriented in the past-something he’d certainly have to do if Milwaukee acquired him.”
DeRozan would be a great addition to the Bucks, giving them another All-Star caliber player who has plenty of playoff experience. This season, the 30-year-old shooting guard is averaging 21.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.0 steal while shooting 52.6 percent from the field. If they succeed in acquiring him from the Spurs, DeRozan could become the Bucks’ second-best scoring option next to Antetokounmpo.
However, though most people expect him to be available before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline, bringing DeRozan to Milwaukee won’t be easy for the Bucks. As Sampson noted, the “biggest barrier” for the Bucks in the potential deal involving DeRozan is salary-matching.
“DeRozan makes $27.7 million this season-a number the Bucks would be hard-pressed to match. A combination of Eric Bledsoe and Ersan Ilyasova would do the trick, but that doesn’t really help either party. Creativity would be needed in the event of any deal.”
Even if the Bucks are willing to part ways with the likes of Eric Bledsoe and Ersan Ilyasova, the Spurs would likely demand more trade assets in exchange for DeRozan. To further convince the Spurs to make a deal, the Bucks may be needing to include a young player or a future first-round pick in the trade package.
